Because I needed to write a Harry Potter one-shot, or I would eat myself alive. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I'll own Harry Potter when Aunt Petunia invites Sirius Black over for tea.

"I can't take it anymore!" Sirius Black cries, as he and his friend make their way down the corridor from their Divination class.

"Oh, come on, Padfoot. It's not that bad," Remus says reasonably, hitching his impossibly large book-bag higher on his shoulder.

"No!" Sirius says. "I'm sick of it. We shouldn't have to trek all the way down to the other end of the school to have to stare at lumps of tea and be told that we're going to die before the next class, and then have to do it all over again! I half wish one of her bloody predictions would come true! Then at least I wouldn't have to put up with it anymore. I wish Tre-yawn-ey would just go stick her sorry-"

"Sirius! First-years!" Remus hisses, nudging Sirius frantically.

"Oh, come on, Moony, you think so too, and you know it."

"Well... Yes, but that still doesn't give you an excuse to-"

"Hi, Sirius." Sirius's girlfriend, Marina, has sidled up to the two. Sirius gives Remus a long look, and Remus laughs.

"Okay, okay, I can see when I'm not wanted. I'll leave you... two... ACHOO!" he sneezes. Marina and Sirius flinch.

"Reme, you'd better get back to the Common Room," Sirius says worriedly. Still sneezing wildly, Remus makes his way down the corridors slowly. Sometimes, he thinks, it helps to have Sirius Black as your best friend.

Back in the Common Room, Remus is still sneezing his head off. Curled up in front of the crackling fire with a warm blanket and James Potter beating him in Exploding Snap, Remus is perfectly content. He always gets sick this time of year. Remus puts another card down, and the entire deck bursts into flame.

"Hah! Yes! I won! James Potter wins again!" James cries, jumping up and doing a victory dance right there in the Common Room. Remus grins at his friend, then sneezes again. James continues his little dance all around the Common Room, passing the portrait hole right when it swings open, and suddenly-

BAM. In a tangle of arms, legs, and robes, both James and Lily fall to the floor. Lily is up first, straightening her robes and dusting herself off.

"Potter, you prat!" she shrieks, furious. James is up in an instant, messing up his hair and flashing his trademark grin.

"Hey, Evans," he replies casually. Remus rolls his eyes knowingly and snickers. In response, James stomps hard on his foot, never looking away from Lily and never losing the smile.

As Remus hops away, nursing his injured foot, Lily refuses James's outstretched hand, gathers up her books, and stalks off without another word, as though she thought him too rude to even insult. As soon as she's gone, James collapses back into a chair, groaning. Remus joins him, sniggering again behind his hand.

"So... How'd it go? Ouch!" he cries, clutching his arm.

James smiles slyly in return. "That enough of an answer for you?" Remus grins back ruefully.

"Guess I deserved that."

"Yeah, you did," James replies promptly. Remus can only smile. Sometimes, he thinks, it helps to have James Potter as your best friend.

"Hey, Moony, wait up!" Remus spins around in the corridor to see Peter Pettigrew waddling after him as fast as his fat little body can go.

"Wormtail!" says Remus in surprise. "I thought you were supposed to be in Transfiguration! McGonagall's gonna throw a hissy fit!"

"Nah, she let us out early when Nancy Bentley turned herself into a zit. Pretty good job at it, too." Remus grinned.

"Pretty good job? Why, thank you, Mr. Wormtail," says James from behind him, bowing deeply and putting on an exceptionally snobby accent. Sirius joins them too, and the four boys laugh, heading down the stairs.

"Ouch!" Peter had fallen into a trick step. Lucius Malfoy looks at the friends trying to pull Peter out with contempt as he passes. Remus, Sirius, and James don't notice, as they're facing away, but Peter sees clearly through the gap in the boys' arms.

"Expelliarmus! Ow!" Peter had whipped out his wand like a true Marauder, but ended up getting hit in the face with the impact of his own spell.

Malfoy smiles silkily. "No magic in the corridors" is his only response.

Fortunately, the force of the spell had knocked Peter loose, and all three boys collapsed in a laughing heap, attracting many looks from passersby. It's not always helpful to have Peter Pettigrew as your best friend, but it's always rather funny, in the end.

*THE END*